Requires review of all motor vehicle repair shop applicants which includes community input

• Democratic3

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Gustavo Rivera says this is needed

Some auto shop repair shops engage in illegal practices, such as using residential parking for cars under repair and parking those cars on the sidewalk. This not only blocks traffic, but it prevents residents from getting to and from their homes as they are forced to travel in the street. This situation particularly hinders access for individuals with disabilities who rely on pedestrian pathways. Neighboring businesses are impeded from receiving goods via truck deliveries. And, this prac- tice by auto shops also limits residential parking in dense neighbor- hoods. It is unfair for auto shop businesses to restrict both public sidewalks, traffic flow, and parking from the community for their commercial purposes. The impacts and input from community members is valuable as when these businesses seek approval on their transfer or renewals, and this bill would allow for such input to be considered. The New York City Police Department and the Department of Sanitation of NYC assist in towing vehicles that are illegally parked, but their resources are limited. Neither agency has the capacity to tow illegally parked cars in front of auto shops every day. Current enforcement efforts lead to fines and tow fees, which are infrequent enough that they do not deter the illegal practices of auto shops. This bill would provide the community that auto shops are located in the ability to respond in favor or against an auto shop's application for renewals or transfer through their local community board. This would allow residents to provide feedback on the community impact of local auto shops during the license renewal or transfer process and community input prior to relicensing is not a new idea, it is similar in nature to the State Liquor Authority soliciting community input prior to granting liquor licenses. Auto shops affect their neighborhoods in various ways, therefore approval of their application for renewal or transfer of a certificate of registration should be subject to a review by the commu- nity boards they serve.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.